Blueprint for success
Richie Vios, Iberia Sunset, watercolor, 12 x 24.
Even at a glance, there’s no doubt that IBERIA SUNSET was painted by someone with a keen grasp of architectural illustration. That someone is award-winning plein-air artist Richie Vios, who, over the past few years, has parlayed a successful career as an architect into an equally successful career as a watercolorist. Vios expertly blends the technical with the aesthetic by using strong structural foundations in his impressionistic interpretations.
“As an architect, I learned the importance of schematic drawings and blueprints before construction could ever begin,” Vios notes. “In my watercolor work, I visualize schematically and then do some quick thumbnail sketching. In short, I make blueprints in my mind, which gives me the confidence to know where I’m going before I begin to paint.”
- Richie Vios, Cowboy Planning the Day, watercolor, 12 x 24.
- Richie Vios, Ready to Enter, watercolor, 16 x 12.
- Richie Vios, Marina Sunset, watercolor, 11 x 14.
The Philippines-born Vios comes from a creative family, having inherited his love of painting from his father. Vios earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Cebu Institute of Technology—University in 1995, and has practiced his profession since then, both in his homeland and the United States.
Although Vios gained a command of watercolor through architectural renderings and presentation work, he only began exploring the medium more fully over the last decade. His subject matter ranges widely, from cityscapes and landscapes to a recent cowboy series. “I’ve learned not to paint exactly what I see,” Vios reveals thoughtfully, “but to paint what complements my imagination, interpreting what I see as a visual diary.”
- Richie Vios, Grazing Cows, watercolor, 14 x 22.
- Richie Vios, Looking Forward, watercolor, 16 x 12.
- Richie Vios, NY Gondolier, watercolor, 12 x 24.
When he’s not traveling the March-to-October plein-air circuit, where he’s known for racking up top awards and recognition—the go-with-the-flow artist is a Quick Draw phenom—Vios can be found painting in his Victoria, TX, studio or teaching watercolor workshops throughout the West and Southeast.
It’s at these workshops that he shares the pillars of painting: shape, value, edges, and color. “Color often gets all the credit, but it’s the icing on the cake,” the gregarious artist says with a laugh. Instead, value reigns supreme for the self-described tonalist, as it adds a meaningful push and pull. Vios’ architectural roots can’t help but show through, though, when he addresses the importance of shape and edges. “You can’t sugarcoat a painting if it’s based on a bad drawing,” Vios says. —Beth Williams
representation
www.vioswatercolor.com; Facebook: Richie Vios (Artist).
This story appeared in the June/July 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.